Ever wonder how executives in sports business spend their weekends? THE DAILY this week continues, "What's Up For The Weekend?," providing readers with an inside look at people in our industry. Today, we catch up with ESPN Senior VP/College Sports Programming BURKE MAGNUS, who talked to Staff Writer Jessica Collins about what he does on the weekends.

Q: Your weekend routine is …

Magnus: I don't really have any routine to speak of. Between the demands of work travel and the seasonal issues that come with living in Connecticut, every weekend is different. That being said, the fall is all college football, all the time. I'll either travel to a game on Saturday and stay in the loop by iPhone, or stay home to monitor all the games from the couch. Come Sunday, it is time to watch my kids' games and the New York Giants.

Q: A weekend must read is …

Magnus: The New York Times, the New Yorker and catch up on my trades and press clips from the week.

Q: On the weekend, you also …

Magnus: I schedule all my college football travel to allow me to get home early enough on Sunday mornings in order to watch my son (age 10) play football with the Farmington Mudhogs. He plays center ("I get to touch the ball on every play, Dad") and defensive end, and is very brand loyal to Under Armour.

THE DAILY each Friday offers our take on the performances over the past week of people and entities in sports business. Here are this week’s newsmakers:

WIN: NFL RATINGS -- The ratings juggernaut returns to TV with authority. NFL Week One delivers some dazzling numbers, as evident by Fox' Sunday afternoon games giving the net its best opening week doubleheader on record. The league's primetime games also go above already lofty expectations -- ESPN's two "MNF" games instantly become the year's most-viewed cable telecasts and NBC's Thursday/Sunday two-headed monster wins the ratings week for the Peacock and gives the net the package's best numbers since it was created in '03. The strong start for the NFL once again demonstrates the power the league has with TV audiences.

LOSE: MICHAEL JORDAN -- Jordan has a history of rarely misstepping in public, which makes his acceptance speech at the Basketball HOF even that more confusing. Taking shots at former players for comments they made almost two decades ago? Flying a former high school teammate to Springfield only to say he was not as good as you? We understand that holding grudges was part of what made Jordan one of the all-time greats, but his comments seem to be needlessly critical and could have an impact on his overall legacy.

DRAW: LIVERPOOL FC -- The Reds have spent the past seven seasons looking up at rival Manchester United in the EPL standings, but Liverpool this week matches the Red Devils with their record jersey sponsorship with Standard Chartered. The four-year deal worth approximately US$132M fills the gap created when longtime partner Carlsberg announced its plans not to renew its jersey deal. However, the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the team's ownership continues to grow, as TOM HICKS retains Merrill Lynch to help sell a 25% stake in the club.

MillerCoors has promoted RYAN LUCKEY into the position of Dir of Sports & Event Marketing, effective next month. Luckey moves into the position formerly held by DOCKERY CLARK. Luckey previously had been east region field marketing director at MillerCoors (Michael Smith, SportsBusiness Journal)....ESPN.com's David Newton cited a source as saying that Richard Petty Motorsports VP & Managing Dir of Competition MARK MCARDLE "was given his release on Monday ... after a heated confrontation" with co-Owner GEORGE GILLETT. The sources said that the confrontation was "sparked by McArdle's displeasure over RPM's decision to absorb Yates Racing" (ESPN.com, 9/16).

A study by the Center for Responsive Politics reveals that since '89, owners and officials on 22 of the NFL's 32 teams "have given more cash to Republicans than Democrats, and that several teams have given more" than 90% of their contributions to the GOP. The Chargers "blew away the rest of the field with $2,455,200 in total money contributed, with most of that coming from" Owner ALEX SPANOS, who has given more than $2M. The Rams were the league's "biggest donor to Democrats, contributing $230,050," 98% of the team's total (POLITICO.com, 9/17).

NOT SO IMPORTANT: In Chicago, David Greising writes PRESIDENT OBAMA "should not go" to the IOC's October 2 vote determining the host city for the '16 Olympics. Obama in saying he likely will not attend to remain in the U.S. to focus on health care "offered up an excuse when he should have given a sound reason." What Obama "should have said is more direct: He has a country to run." Greising: "There is no earthly reason why a president of the United States should take time off from the world's most consequential agenda to pitch for the chance to host what is, at its core, a 17-day swim and track meet" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/18).

BEST WISHES: Texas Motor Speedway President EDDIE GOSSAGE disclosed Thursday that his cancer "is in remission." Gossage, who addressed the media Thursday, "never revealed what kind of cancer he has." Gossage: "I was hoping I could just miss a few weeks in the summer, come back to work, and nobody would know the difference." In Ft. Worth, Gil LeBreton notes Gossage "avoided the spotlight until Thursday's media event to promote the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup," and the only indications of his treatment were "his lack of a full beard ... and a black ballcap that covered his mostly hairless scalp" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/18).

Bernie Williams' Sophomore Album
Nominated For Latin Grammy Award

NAMES: SMI Chair BRUTON SMITH has sued Cabarrus County (NC) and the city of Concord, “demanding that they move more quickly toward paying him for up to $4[M] of road work he’s performed” around Lowe’s Motor Speedway and zMax Dragway. The suit claims county and city officials have “attempted to delay reimbursing him for that work,” which was part of an $80M package agreed upon in ’07. Smith is seeking to be reimbursed for the work in the next three to five years (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/18)....Celtics F PAUL PIERCE on September 27 will formally launch FitClub34, providing children in New England with information on how to become more active and physically fit (THE DAILY)....Golfer FRED COUPLES has sold his 11,000-square-foot Montecito, California, home for $9.56M, “nearly 25% less than the asking price.” Couples bought the five-acre property in ’99 for $4M (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/18)….Cavaliers C SHAQUILLE O’NEAL’s wife SHAUNIE last week in N.Y. was seen “talking to TV executives all week, shopping around a reality show about NBA wives to be set in Miami.” Although she is “likely to cast several of her friends,” she is expected to "remain behind the scenes for this show” (MIAMIHERALD.com, 9/17)….Former MLBer BERNIE WILLIAMS’ sophomore album “Moving Forward” was nominated Thursday for the Latin Grammy Award’s “Best Instrumental Album” (NYTIMES.com, 9/17).